Exploring Seoul, South Korea - 1 Week Itinerary
Back in September 2019, I went on to visit a friend who was studying abroad in Korea. What’s a better reason to travel overseas than to visit one of your best friends? I decided to spend a whole week in Seoul and got to explore the South Korean capital in a lot of detail. Today, I will tell you about the best places to see there.
Myeong-dong
The base for my explorations in the city was Myeong-Dong, one of the liveliest quarters of the town. Here, you’ll find lots of hotels, shops, restaurants and all kinds of crazy stuff. It is an ideal starting point for exploring the city, connected with many different subway lines. No matter whether you want to buy fashion, or you’re in need of a souvenir to bring home, I’m sure you’ll find something there.
Myeong-Dong is especially well known for its street food market. Every day, around 5-6 pm, the main road of this quarter gets filled with hundreds of food stalls. Here, you can try out lots of Asian specialities. Most of them (besides e.g. fruit) are REALLY affordable, so you can even try out the food you have never heard of before. If you are a picky eater just like I am, you can make many funny experiences, but already the feeling of wandering in between this busy street, with lots of locals and different spices in the air, is very special.
Gangnam
Oppa Gangnam Style!
I’m sure you were singing this in your head when reading the word ‘Gangnam’. Who could forget one of the most viral hits of our time? Well, Gangnam is actually the name of a quarter in Seoul, and one of the busiest just to add. Also, there are some art installations referring to the song found all over the quarter. In this district, you’ll also find lots of very expensive shops, as it’s one of the wealthiest parts of Seoul. When heading to Gangnam by subway, just be aware to head actually there and not Gangnam-gu, which is a different part of the city (yes, that actually happened to me). One of the best-known attractions of the district is the Coex Mall.
Starfield Library - Coex Mall
I’m sure you have seen pictures of the Starfield Library somewhere on the internet, and this may be one of the prettiest libraries in the world. But it is actually also one of the busiest. The library is located inside the Coex Mall in Gangnam. It is very famous for its architecture, including rounded towers, elevators and lots of glass. There are also cafes, foreign books and places to read. Still, I’d say that this place is way too busy to actually enjoy reading there, it is rather a place to admire the architecture and snap one or two pictures. Also, I have to add that the library looks way bigger on pictures than it does in reality.
N Seoul Tower
One thing I really like when visiting cities of this size is to head to a lookout. I think otherwise, it is really hard to comprehend its size. The N Tower, also called Namsan tower, is located on top of the Namsan mountain. To get to the top, you can either drive, hike or use the cable car. Depending on the air quality, the tower is lit up at night. From the tower and it’s different levels, you have a 360-degree view over Seoul. There you can also find a cafe, a restaurant and gift shops.
Gyeongbokgung Palace
This was the main royal place built during the Joseon dynasty. It was the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by this dynasty and was opened in 1395. It was destroyed by the Imperial Japan in the 20th century and is being restored ever since. When visiting, make sure to plan your time, as at every full hour between 10 am and 3 pm, there’s a changing of the guards ceremony which is really impressive. Watching this ceremony is for free, and so is visiting the square, but to enter the palace itself, you have to pay a fee of a few thousand Won. I also visited other palaces, but most of them look very similar, and Gyeongbokgung is the most impressive one.
Bukchon Hanok Village
If you are looking for ‘traditional Asian houses’, this is the place to be. The Hanok village is located close to the Gyeongbokgung Place, the National Folk Museum and the Jongmyo Shrine. Here, you’ll find hundreds of those traditional houses, that date back to the Joseon dynasty. Today, many of those traditional houses operate as cultural centres, guesthouses, restaurants and tea houses. Keep in mind that people actually live in those houses when walking around, therefore, visitors are strongly advised to not disturb them.
Jongmyo Shrine
This is the oldest and most authentic of the Confucian royal shrines to have been preserved, and you are not allowed to visit it on your own, you have to enter with a tour guide, available in English, Korean and some other languages. It was built in the 14th century but was destroyed during the Japanese invasion in the 16th century. Later, it was rebuilt in the 17th century with a few expansions made to the buildings after that. It is actually UNESCO World heritage. When visiting, pay close attention to what your tour guide says, as it’s, e.g. frowned upon to walk on the cobblestone path o the centre of the walkway, as this is where the ancient souls wander. I enjoyed the visit very much and have to highlight how well preserved the Shrine, and its surrounding buildings are.
Dongdaemun
This is a large commercial district comprised of traditional markets and shopping centres that covers the entire area around Dongdaemun Gate, which looks very interesting from above. All kinds of goods can be found here, including silks and fabric, clothes, shoes and accessories, electronics, leather goods, sporting goods, office supplies, pet products, and toys. Although Dongdaemun is traditionally famous for its night market, it attracts hordes of shoppers and tourists at all times of the day.
Songdo Central Park - Incheon
On my very last day, I headed to Incheon to explore the university of my friend and some of its surroundings. Incheon also has a Chinatown, but I’d have to admit that it’s rather underwhelming. A place that is definitely worth a visit is the Songdo Central Park, surrounded by costly apartment buildings, just as the Central Park in NYC. It is quite extensive and feels very calm with its river, all those flowers and a very interesting art installation in the middle, that was even location for a photo shooting during my visit.
During my stay in Seoul, I also made a trip to the DMZ, the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea. Feel free to read all about this extraordinary experience by clicking the link below. If you want to learn more about my other trips, whether it may be Europe, Asia or other continents, just browse through my other blog posts.
